Ferry still burning in Baltic

Crews work to keep oil-laden ship afloat

Oct. 10, 2010 12:00 AMMcClatchy Newspapers

CUXHAVEN, Germany - Danish and German sea experts were early today battling to keep a Lithuanian ferry from sinking and spilling fuel into the Baltic Sea after a series of onboard explosions triggered an inferno.

All 249 passengers and crew members of the Lisco Gloria were rescued Saturday after the first blast early that morning. The rescued included 28 people who were injured, mostly from smoke inhalation.

Subsequent blasts fueled the inferno.

Officials in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein excluded the possibility of a terrorist attack. Late Saturday, officials said a fire on a truck in the hold of the ferry was the possible cause of the blaze.

German and Danish crews using water cannons had lowered temperatures on the burning vessel from an estimated high of 300 degrees Celsius (572 degrees Fahrenheit), but the ferry continued to burn early today, and it was not clear when the passenger-and-freight ship could be boarded and hauled away.

The ship, which was anchored off the Danish island Langeland, is carrying about 200 tons of oil. The Danish environmental ship Marie Milj was summoned to help head off an oil spill, and efforts were focused on keeping the Lisco Gloria from sinking.

Fire ships sprayed cooling water on the fire through the day, but the efforts were stopped to prevent the ferry from further listing from the heavy load of water, said Wolfgang Harlos, spokesman for the emergency marine commando.

Two German specialists boarded the burning ferry via helicopter to lower the anchor, Danish Maritime Rescue Agency SOK reported. The ferry was listing by 15 degrees. German and Danish water-conservation ships were sent to the site.

The rescued included 20 Germans as well as passengers from Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Argentina and Russia. A school group from Latvia was also on board.

Danish and German navy helicopters evacuated three of the injured directly to the hospital. Many of the rescued were brought to safety in Kiel, Germany, by lifeboats and other ships that helped in the rescue.

"These people are very exhausted," said Uwe Marxen, shift commander with the Kiel police. "They have a couple of rough hours behind them."

The passengers awaited their rescue in lifeboats and floats, and it was not clear if anyone jumped into the water, said Harlos.

"The people basically saved themselves," Harlos said. "That is, when the fire broke out, they immediately proceeded to the safety floats."

Most of the passengers were asleep when the alarm was sounded on board about midnight.

The ferry was traveling from Kiel to Klaipeda, Lithuania, a heavily used sea route. Ships traveling the route answered the call for help.

The fire was spotted when a crew member noticed smoke coming from the truck while making an inspection round and sought to put the fire himself, according to Joachim Gutt, head of the crisis team of the Interior Ministry of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.

When the attempt to extinguish the fire failed, the crew member informed the ship's captain.